Item: Beef
Rating: 8
Author: Emmanuel "E-Man" Noisette

To say that BEEF is just your typical show with a basic premise of two people who are having a bad day, would be a complete understatement. BEEF follows a road rage incident between two strangers. Danny (Steven Yeun) is a failing contractor that just can’t catch a break in life. His luck continues to get worse as he goes head-to-head with Amy (Ali Wong). Amy is an entrepreneur who seems to have a perfect life. The two cross paths and things only escalate from there on.

BEEF Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFPIMHBzGDs

This series was more complex and thought-provoking than the trailer may be present. Little did I know, that I would be taking a major deep dive into two people’s lives who are more jacked up than they convey to the world. The story and writing were some of the most intriguing aspects of BEEF. I really loved how nothing felt wasted, and everything mattered. There were points in the story where a mere line of dialogue from episode 3 would have a major impact in the later episodes. The writing also paid a lot of attention to making each character feel meaningful. While Danny and Amy’s stories are the catalyst to the whole series, the entire supporting cast was delightful. Characters like George (Joseph Lee) or Paul (Young Mazino) were given sufficient care and didn’t just feel like background roles with no value. The writing overall felt like an intricate web of arcs that each affected the plot. Everything was consistently compelling until the very end of the show.

The performances in BEEF were nothing but stellar. Steven Yeun’s delivery of Danny’s character demonstrated some significant range in his acting. It wasn’t just the fact that Steven could get mad or yell in a rage. It was the fact that he was able to find so much humanity in his character and react believably when things just didn’t go Danny’s way. Oftentimes, Yeun’s delivery would evoke a level of sympathy for Danny. I found myself having a mix of emotions towards Danny and that was thanks to Steven making him so believable. Ali Wong was sensational in her portrayal of Amy. Her ability to showcase Amy’s vulnerability and complicated resilience in trying to keep her life together. I think what made Wong’s acting stand out was how delicately she was able to peel back the layers of her character’s trauma in such a way most people would be afraid to confront. Both Wong and Yeun’s acting made for the perfect recipe to make BEEF hit on all cylinders.

BEEF was a wild ride of increasingly high stakes within the tragic complexities in the lives of two people. The suspense and creativity were a joy to sit through and just when you thought the show was about to even out, a new twist or wrinkle kept you wanting to see more. I certainly appreciated the unapologetic Korean lens it took on. It reminded me of how Donald Glover’s Atlanta had a similar Black perspective. If you’re interested in an unexpected treat, then BEEF is the show you don’t want to miss.

Directors: Jake Schreier, HIKARI, Lee Sung Jin
Executive Producers: Lee Sung Jin, Steven Yeun, Ali Wong
Stars: Steven Yeun (Danny) & Ali Wong (Amy), Joseph Lee (George), Young Mazino (Paul), David Choe (Isaac), Patti Yasutake (Fumi)
Beef comes to Netflix on April 6, 2023. Be sure to follow E-Man’s Movie Reviews on Facebook, Subscribe on YouTube, or follow me on Twitter/IG @EmansReviews for even more movie news and reviews!